Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Sirens of Titan

If you're into more acutely sci-fi novels but are interested in exploring more complex literary fiction, or if you want to get started with Vonnegut specifically, this is a very solid place to start. Otherwise, maybe put this one lower on the to-be-read list and save it for a rainy day.

A bit unnecessarily edgy in certain spots though

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flyintothestorm's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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twintails_industries's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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flox98's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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paulwesterberg's review

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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stormblessedt's review against another edition

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fast-paced

2.5

I loved Slaughterhouse Five, and I was enjoying Sirens of Titan too…

until the casually thrown-in r*pe. It was pretty jarring and I even stopped reading for a few days. I eventually continued reading hoping it wouldn’t be glossed over but it got worse— she actually thanked him for it towards the end.

Such a shame, because this was otherwise a nice, short book that tackles the futility of human life done via sci-fi. Some bits at the beginning were pretty funny too. The part on Mars and Mercury were a bit tedious and not as interesting. The ending was a mixed bag.

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germhotel's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This one definitely missed the mark for me. I felt it was lacking in a central premise and/or meaningful philosophy compared to other works by Vonnegut.

Also minus an additional star because I cannot even articulate how frustrating the treatment of the character Bee was throughout the entire novel.

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sunn_bleach's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Not Vonnegut’s most consistent book, but such a strong start. And a definite entry into the canon of funny books with poignant and sad endings.

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